Unexpected Meeting
by GwenSilverlake
Summary: Three years after The Answer. One evening, Akihiko receives an unexpected phone call from a certain old friend with dark red hair...
1. Chapter 1

The sun was setting, a glowing orb of orange against the sky that was slowly darkening, its clouds a shade of soft pink. From his view from the balcony on the tenth floor of the condominium, Akihiko could see the streets bustling with people making their way home from a hard day's work. A flock of crows flew overhead, filling the skies with the sounds of their cawing. A gentle breeze was blowing, ruffling his platinum hair slightly. It had been three years since March 31st 2010, the day when time had seemed to stop flowing and he was trapped inside the Dorm, along with the other SEES members. Now they had all gone their separate ways, and as far as he knew, the Dorm had been closed down, or perhaps was now inhabited by others.

The cell phone in the pocket of his pants vibrated and a ring tone began to play. Akihiko wondered who it was that was calling him. His college roommate, a foreigner named Ronan Kendall, had left the condominium to do a grocery run. His classes finished an hour earlier than Akihiko's, so the condominium was empty when Akihiko had got back. Ronan had left him a note on the coffee table, explaining where he had gone.

He pulled out his cell phone and stared at the number on the screen. He didn't know anyone with that number…who could it be? Deciding to find out, he answered the call and pressed the phone to his ear.

"Hello? Is this Akihiko Sanada by any chance?"

That voice…it was so familiar…but how could it be her? He had lost contact with her two years ago. She had gone on a business trip to England for five months and contact had slowed to a trickle, finally stopping.

"Yes, this is Akihiko," he replied, going back into his living room and sitting down on the sofa.

"I'm so glad this is the right phone number after all," the familiar voice at the other end of the phone sighed with relief. "I hope you haven't forgotten how my voice sounds like, but in case you have, this is Mitsuru Kirijo."

"I didn't forget, Mitsuru," Akihiko said. "But, I really didn't expect you to call. We lost contact a couple of years ago, and my cell phone got stolen last year so I had to get a new one…how did you find my number?"

"I have connections," Mitsuru told him. "I know I've been busy lately, and I'm sorry about that. It's something that I can't help. I'm expected to take over the Kirijo Group next year, so I have to learn the ropes quickly."

"Yeah, I know…I get the feeling you're not calling me just for small talk, though."

"You guessed right, Akihiko. Are you still in contact with the others?"

"Most of them…Junpei, Ken, Yukari…I don't have Fuuka's contact details."

"That's not a problem," Mitsuru assured him. "I have Fuuka's number. I called you because I'm planning a sort of get-together at my house next week, and I was hoping that all of you will be able to come."

"A get-together? I thought you were in over your head with work."

"I was, but I've been given some time to relax," she explained. "It's been a long time since I last saw everyone, I'd like to see them all again. Will you call them and ask if they're available for next Friday evening?"

"I will," Akihiko promised. "S-so, you're home now, right? Are you busy tonight?"

"Actually, no," Mitsuru admitted. "I don't actually have any plans for tonight, I'm quite free for once."

"If you're not busy…would you mind going out for coffee with me?"

"Coffee…? Of course I wouldn't mind. Where do you want to meet up?"

"Chagall Café, if that's alright with you," said Akihiko.

"Yes, that's fine," Mitsuru agreed. "I'll see you there in half an hour."

**********

About thirty minutes later, Akihiko was pushing open the door of Chagall Café in Paulownia Mall. It was fortunate that the condominium which he lived in was not far from Iwatodai Station. He had taken a train from Iwatodai before boarding a bus to the bus stop just outside Paulownia Mall. He walked over to the counter and ordered a cup of coffee.

Just as he paid for the coffee and was searching for a place to sit, the door to Chagall Café swung open and a young woman entered. Akihiko's eyes stopped skimming the café and rested on the woman. She was stunningly beautiful, her skin flawless and her dark red hair done in a neat, elaborate hairstyle. She wore a knee-length black skirt and a fitted white coat over her white blouse, and white high-heeled shoes, all spotless as if she had just bought them an hour ago. Akihiko could smell the scent of her expensive perfume as she approached him.

The young woman was, undoubtedly, Mitsuru.

"Mitsuru?" he said, sounding a bit awed. He knew that Mitsuru was the same age as he was, twenty-one years old, but she looked very professional and somehow more adult-like. She seemed to be the same as she was three years ago, except that her dark red hair was slightly shorter. Akihiko suddenly felt a bit out of place and very untidy in his jeans and slightly rumpled shirt.

"Akihiko?" Mitsuru's eyes widened slightly. Akihiko looked different from the last time she had seen him years ago, when they had all parted at the Dorm. He was taller, and he had become more muscular. There was some light stubble on his chin, but his piercing grey eyes and platinum hair hadn't changed a bit.

There was a moment of silence as the two old friends simply stared at each other. It felt somewhat odd to see one another again after three whole years apart. Neither one spoke for a while until one of the customers complained that they were blocking the way.

"Er, let's sit down," Akihiko said hastily, moving out of the customer's way and seating himself at the chair by the window. Shortly afterwards, Mitsuru occupied the chair opposite him.

Mitsuru gave a short laugh. "That was quite strange, wasn't it? It's not like any of us to be ignorant of our surroundings like that."

Akihiko chuckled. "I agree, especially you. You don't seem to have changed much over the past few years, I see."

"You've grown taller," she observed. "You've still been training a lot, I presume?"

"I haven't broken that habit," he admitted, sub-consciously stirring his coffee. Then he noticed that Mitsuru hadn't bought anything to drink. "Do you want me to buy you some coffee? Or maybe you'd like tea instead?"

"Tea would be nice," Mitsuru nodded and smiled at him.

Akihiko got up from his chair and went back to the counter to order cup of tea for Mitsuru. Mitsuru looked out the window and drummed her fingers on the table-cloth covered surface, lost in her thoughts.

"_He hasn't changed at all, really," _she thought. _"He's still the same old Akihiko that I knew. I suppose that's good. I'm not sure I would have liked it if he changed…"_

At the counter, Akihiko wondered if Mitsuru still liked chocolate cake as much as she did last time. He bought a slice of chocolate cake too and brought it over to their table with Mitsuru's cup of tea.

"Is that chocolate cake?" she asked when he set down the plate with the slice of cake on it. Akihiko nodded as he sat back down in his chair. "So you remembered," Mitsuru said, with a small smile. "I had thought you'd forgotten…"

"How could I forget that fact? You like chocolate cake about as much as Yukari loves her chocolate bonbons," Akihiko grinned teasingly.

"Yukari and her bonbons…" Mitsuru echoed. "Now that is something I don't think any of us has forgotten. So, how have you been, Akihiko? You are attending college now, right?"

"Yeah, I am," said Akihiko. "It's just within easy driving distance of Iwatodai Station…I didn't want to go to the trouble of going somewhere miles away from here."

"But, why?" Mitsuru asked. "Someone like you surely must have attracted the eye of scouts that came to watch your matches back at Gekkoukan. Surely you've been offered scholarships to great universities?"

"To be honest, I have," Akihiko admitted, taking a sip of coffee. "But I turned them all down. Ken is still studying at Gekkoukan, you know. He doesn't have any family, so I'm the only one who can look after him now. That's why I chose to go to college nearby. So I could check on Ken sometimes and make sure he's alright. He's staying at a dormitory not far from here, and during the holidays I take him to stay at my place."

"Don't you share your condominium with another college student?"

"I do – his name's Ronan Kendall," he explained. "He's a foreign student, from England. Ronan's a nice guy, we get along well, but we're opposites when it comes to our personalities. Ronan doesn't work out much, he just goes for a brief jog around the park once a week and that's it. Most of his free time is spent in front of his laptop. Ronan doesn't mind Ken staying over during the holidays."

"What about you, though?" Mitsuru questioned, pouring a packet of sugar into her tea. "You're not going to hold yourself back just for Amada, are you? You have a bright future ahead, with your talents and potential."

"I'm not," Akihiko assured her. "Ken will be graduating in a few years. After I've finished my education here, I'll get a job and go on living where I do now. Once Ken's enrolled into college, I'll be able to leave and go to another university to continue my education."

"Well, have you planned which university you'll be attending next?"

"Actually, not yet…"

"I have an idea, Akihiko," Mitsuru said, sitting up in her seat. "The Kirijo Group doesn't own just Gekkoukan High. The company also owns a number of universities and colleges here around this area. The Tatsumi University is just within driving distance of Gekkoukan High. It's further than the college you're currently attending, but you will be offered a better education and more opportunities will be available to you once you've graduated. At the same time, you'll be able to keep an eye on Amada."

"I've never really considered that before, since I haven't thought too much about where to go next," Akihiko mused, running his fingers through his platinum hair in thought. "It sounds like a great idea. Thanks for the suggestion. I think I'll probably take the suggestion, though."

"I'll be able to pull some strings and get you enrolled in advance," Mitsuru told him, "but don't expect special treatment from any of the lecturers there. The Tatsumi University is also offering a full scholarship – it'll save you a lot of money if you manage to get accepted, so you should send in a scholarship application."

"The same Mitsuru I knew," Akihiko said, more to himself than to Mitsuru. "Always thinking three steps ahead with a full plan in mind. That's always been one of your best qualities, Mitsuru. I'm sure it'll help you out a lot when you take over the Kirijo Group."

"Speaking of taking over…" her voice trailed off but she quickly continued her sentence, "I haven't told you about this yet, Akihiko, but…they're expecting me to marry the son of another huge company, so that the two companies will be able to work together in harmony. It will be very profitable and beneficial to the company."

Mitsuru had mentioned that she might have to go through an arranged marriage once she took over her father. Akihiko had known it, he had expected it, but for some reason, it still came as some sort of surprise. His cheeks became red as he said in what he hoped to be a casual, nonchalant voice, "Oh, really? Do you really need to go through with it, though…?"

Mitsuru was uncomfortably silent for a few moments before she gave her answer. "Not really, however…it would be better for the Kirijo Group if I did. I can turn down the proposal if I want to, but they are counting on me, they all depend on me to successfully lead the Kirijo Group…the way my father did before me. I don't want to be an unsuccessful leader and shame my father's name. Although it goes against my emotions, it is difficult for me to refuse the marriage."

Akihiko tried to fight back the urge to tell her not to go through with the arranged marriage. If Mitsuru wanted to accept the proposal, that was entirely her decision, and Akihiko played no part whatsoever in influencing that decision. He had known Mitsuru for years, and to him Mitsuru was a very close friend, sort of like a sister, but something more. It was hard to describe what Mitsuru was to him. Akihiko took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"It is your decision to make, Mitsuru," he said quietly, looking at the dark liquid in the cup before him, avoiding her mahogany eyes. "Whatever it is that you decide on, I'll support your decision."

Mitsuru didn't know why she was feeling hurt at Akihiko's words and the way he said them. She could tell that he was completely against her decision to accept the proposal and marry someone she barely knew and certainly had no feelings for. But why was she feeling so hurt though? It wasn't as if she needed Akihiko's approval to confirm her decision.

"T-thank you, Akihiko," she said quietly, and her voice shook a little. She lifted the cup to her lips and sipped her tea. Then she set it back down in its saucer and looked at Akihiko. "I can tell you really don't want me to go through with my decision, however. If you don't mind my asking, I'd like to know the reason."

Akihiko blinked and looked up from his coffee cup to meet Mitsuru's gaze. The question caught him off guard. He hadn't expected Mitsuru to ask him why – he himself couldn't quite fathom the real reason.

"I just want you to be happy, Mitsuru," he whispered. "You don't love that man, and a marriage needs true love to be successful. He may love you, Mitsuru, but that won't do any good if you don't love him in return. I'm just afraid that if you marry him you'll end up unhappy and regretting your decision later on…and I don't want that to happen."

He got up suddenly. "I'm sorry," Akihiko said, looking away. "I've gotta go now. I just remembered something that I needed to do." He practically ran out of the café.

Mitsuru got up and ran after him, but by the time she had left Chagall Café, Akihiko had disappeared out of sight.


	2. Chapter 2

"Akihiko? Where've you been?"

Ronan Kendall was seated on the sofa, his laptop open on the coffee table. He was thin and scrawny, and wore frameless spectacles. His hair, which was a pale blonde colour, was always neatly combed.

"H-huh? Oh, Ronan, sorry," he apologized. "An old schoolmate of mine from Gekkoukan High suddenly rang me tonight, and I went out for coffee with her."

"Is it Mitsuru Kirijo?" Ronan enquired curiously. Akihiko had told him about his days at Gekkoukan High (excluding the part about the Shadows and SEES, of course).

"How'd you guess?"

Ronan gave a chuckle. "Your face isn't normally easy to read, Akihiko, but when you talk about Mitsuru you look different, like you're talking about someone special. And I know this because you happen to talk about her a lot."

Akihiko blushed. "W-well, yeah, it was Mitsuru."

"Been three years since you last saw her, right?" Ronan went on. "Must've been really nice to see her again. How is she?"

"She's fine," Akihiko said. He hesitated. Should he tell Ronan about Mitsuru's arranged marriage? Ronan was someone that he trusted, though they were opposites in personality, Ronan was a very good friend.

"You look like something's bothering you, old chum," Ronan observed. "Whatever it is, you know you can tell your roommate Ronan."

Akihiko laughed. Ronan was always so observant. "You can practically read minds, can't you, Ronan? Right, something's bothering me, and I was gonna talk to you about it."

He sat down next to Ronan on the sofa.

"I told you that Mitsuru's the only one left to lead the Kirijo Group now that her father's dead, do you remember?" Ronan nodded. Akihiko went on, "well, the Group's expecting her to marry the son of some other big company's CEO. But Mitsuru doesn't even know him. She hasn't met him yet. But she thinks she should marry him because it'll be good for the company."

"What you're trying to say is," Ronan concluded, "that you're not happy with her marrying someone else, someone she doesn't love."

"That's right," Akihiko nodded. "It seems really unfair to her, and I want her to be happy."

"Ah," Ronan smiled smugly at him. "Akihiko Sanada, you have the love bug."

"W-what?!" Akihiko exclaimed, yet he wasn't so sure – a voice in his head was telling him that Ronan was spot on correct. "Don't be ridiculous, Ronan. You sounded like my old dorm-mate Junpei when you said that. Mitsuru and I have been friends for years. Nothing's changed between us."

"You mean, nothing's change between you _yet_," Ronan pointed out. "You never know what can happen, Akihiko. Well, you can deny it all you want, but I believe in that theory. If you have feelings for her, Akihiko, I suggest you don't bottle them up and leave them unheeded, because believe me, you are not going to be happy if you're not the guy she marries."

"Tch…" Akihiko sighed.

"Why don't you talk to her about it?" Ronan suggested. "It might help if you have a good, long talk to her about this."

"I don't know…"

Akihiko felt his cell phone vibrating in his jeans pocket. He pulled the phone out and saw that it was Mitsuru calling him.

"It's her, isn't it?" Ronan said smugly. "Go on. Answer it. If you feel like some privacy, I'll go to my room and do my work there."

"No, it's okay," Akihiko assured him, and answered the call. "Hello? Mitsuru?"

"Akihiko…" said Mitsuru on the other end of the call. "I'm sorry for making you angry at the Café. Are you alright?"

"Um, yeah, I'm fine," Akihiko mumbled. "Don't worry about me. Just forget it."

"I _was_ worried about you," Mitsuru continued. She sounded rather concerned. "You _are _still going to come to the get-together next week, right? And invite the others?"

"Er, yeah, I'll go," he decided, a bit reluctantly.

"Akihiko…you really don't want me to accept the proposal, do you?" she said softly.

"Can we talk about this on Friday?" Akihiko suggested. "It's just – it doesn't seem right to have this kind of conversation on the phone."

"Alright," Mitsuru agreed, though she sounded a bit upset. "Tell everyone to come to the Kirijo estate next Friday evening. Goodbye for now, then."

Akihiko ended the call and put his phone back into his pocket, sighing. Ronan looked at him, an eyebrow arched.

"So, you're meeting her again next week?" he asked.

"Yeah, she's planning a get-together and she's inviting all our old dorm-mates from Gekkoukan," Akihiko told him. "I guess you'll be alone the rest of the evening on that day."

Ronan shrugged. "I don't mind." He looked at his roommate in concern. "Hey, you'll be okay, right? Like I said, don't hide all your feelings or you'll regret it later."

Akihiko gave him a small smile. "You worry too much sometimes, Ronan. I'll be fine. Thanks for asking."

*********

Junpei Iori was seated on a bench at the Iwatodai Strip Mall, tucking in to the Takoyaki that he had just bought from the stand nearby. As always, Koromaru was being rather hyper for a dog of his age. Koromaru definitely wasn't a puppy, he was years old now, a big, furry Alpha dog, quite skilled when it came to battling Shadows. It had quite surprised all the SEES members when Akihiko had discovered that Koromaru could actually summon his own Persona, Cerberus.

As Junpei took another bite of Takoyaki, his cell phone rang in the pocket of his jacket. Feeling slightly irritated and wondering who the heck was phoning him, he put down his Takoyaki and took out his cell phone. His eyes widened when he saw the number on the screen.

"Hey, it's Akihiko-san!" he answered the call quickly. "Senpai, is that you? It's good to hear from you again. How've you been?"

"I'm doing fine, thanks," Akihiko replied. "Listen, Junpei, are you free next Friday evening?"

"Why're you asking, Senpai? Something going on?"

"Mitsuru's planning a get-together next Friday evening," Akihiko explained. "She's inviting everyone that used to live in the Dorm. Have you got everyone's contact details? Can you spread the word?"

"Yeah, sure, and I'm free next Friday," said Junpei. "Where are we all meeting up?"

"At her house," Akihiko told him. "Well, that's all I have to tell you, I'll see you again next week."

"Bye, Senpai," said Junpei, and ended the phone call. He put his phone back into his pocket. "Well, Koromaru old boy, looks like we're gonna have a little reunion. Koromaru?"

Koromaru was now on the bench, and he was eating Junpei's Takoyaki. He barked in response and looked up at Junpei with his crimson eyes.

"Koromaru! That was _my_ Takoyaki!" Junpei groaned. He glared at the dog. "You owe me four hundred yen, buddy."

Koromaru gave a whimper. Junpei's expression softened and he sighed. "You sure do know how to wind people around your little paw, don't you?"

*********

At Tatsumi University, Yukari Takeba was talking to her roommate, Jing-yin Mikata, on their way to the next lesson.

"Mr Edonawa's lectures are so boring," Jing-yin groaned. She was tall and pretty, with long black hair swept up in a ponytail.

"I know," Yukari sighed. "Why couldn't we have got Miss Meadowes instead? All her students say she's really fun."

A cell phone rang. Yukari realized it was coming from her pocket.

"Oh, you go ahead, Jing-yin," she said, stopping in her tracks. "I have to take this call."

"Don't be late," Jing-yin called as she ran the remaining distance to the classroom.

Yukari set her books down on a nearby bench and took out her phone, surprised to see that it was Junpei who was calling. Wondering what the hell he wanted with her, she answered the call.

"Hello? Whaddya want, Stupei?"

"Can't you be more polite, Yuka-tan?" said Junpei. "I just phoned to tell you that Mitsuru-senpai's having a reunion at her house next Friday evening."

"Huh? Really?" Yukari said, surprised. "I don't have any plans for that day, so I guess I can go. It'll be great to see everyone again, don't you think?"

"Totally," Junpei agreed. "Now I'm getting all excited. Hey, spread the word, will ya? You've got Fuuka's number, don't you? Call her and tell her about it. Invite Aigis, too."

"Will do," Yukari promised. "See you next week, then."


	3. Chapter 3

Akihiko boarded a monorail at Iwatodai Station. Looking around at all the other passengers, he caught sight of Junpei and Koromaru nearby, sitting down on one of the seats. He went over to join them.

"Hey, Akihiko-san!" Junpei greeted, seeing Akihiko approach them. "I haven't seen you around much. How're you doing?"

"Fine," he replied. "Looks like you haven't changed a bit," he observed, looking at Junpei. He had grown slightly taller, but his trusty baseball cap and goatee were just the same.

Junpei shrugged. "It's still the same old me. You've been working out, Akihiko-senpai. Now you're even more ripped than you were before. I thought you'd have gotten out of the habit of intensive training by now."

"Training's just what I do," Akihiko said. "By the way, what have _you _been doing? Did you actually get accepted into a college?"

Junpei grinned guiltily. "Actually, no. My grades were way below average standard, and anyway, I've gotten tired of studying, I felt like stopping. So I've just been doing odd jobs. It's not much, but it's enough for me to make a living."

*********

"Woah…so this is Mitsuru-senpai's home," Junpei said in awe.

They had met up with Yukari, Fuuka, Ken and Aigis at the front gate of the Kirijo estate. The mansion beyond the tall, spiked gates was huge, surrounded by a large area of land. A driveway of gravel led from the gates to the front steps. A few expensive-looking cars were parked in front of the house, and the gardens were filled with colourful flowers and plants that looked very well taken care of.

"Um…should we ring the doorbell?" Yukari suggested.

Akihiko found the doorbell button and pushed it. A moment later, the intercom below the button crackled and buzzed and a male voice spoke.

"Who is it?"

"I'm Akihiko Sanada, and I'm with Fuuka Yamagishi, Yukari Takeba, Ken Amada, Junpei Iori, Koromaru and Aigis. We're Mitsuru Kirijo's old dorm-mates from Gekkoukan High. Mitsuru invited us over to her house for a reunion."

"Ah, it's you kids. Well, come on in. Ms Kirijo is waiting for you at the lounge. Just turn left from the main hallway."

The gates swung open. A little apprehensively, the group made their way up the driveway towards the huge mansion. The front doors swung open and a maid ushered them inside quickly. She led them along the large, marble corridor, which was lined with paintings and ornaments. Then she stopped at a door on the left wall, just opposite the grand, marble staircase.

"Ms Kirijo is inside," she said, indicating the door. Akihiko went over to the door and opened it.

The lounge was a large, high-ceilinged room, with cosy, expensive-looking leather armchairs and sofa dotting the place. A few bookshelves filled with thick, heavy volumes lined the walls. Mitsuru was seated on one of the sofas, her dark red hair long and loose down her back, and she had on a white blouse and black trousers, looking more like the younger Mitsuru.

"I'm glad you all came," she greeted them. "Please, come in and sit down."

She waited for everyone to settle themselves on the various chairs and sofas.

"It's good to see you all again. I haven't seen you guys for such a long time." She looked around at all the faces of her old Dorm-mates, observing the changes. Fuuka had grown slightly taller, and her hair was longer now. But her sweet and shy demeanour hadn't changed at all. Mitsuru's eyes left Fuuka and turned to Ken. He was much taller, and wasn't as thin as he used to be the last time she saw him. She looked at Yukari, whose height hadn't changed, but she had put on a bit more weight. Her friendly, spirited nature was still the same.

"We've missed you too, Senpai," Yukari grinned.

"Yes, I agree," Fuuka said, her familiar shy smile on her face. "I've been studying IT and technology at Tatsumi University, and I haven't had much time to visit anyone, except for Yukari-chan since she's studying there too."

"It's good that you've decided to pursue a career," Mitsuru remarked. She turned to speak to Junpei. "Iori? Did you actually manage to get accepted into a college?"

"No one expected slacker Junpei to get accepted into any institute of higher education, huh?" Junpei snorted. "But that's my tragic life. Of course I didn't get accepted. All I've been doing is going around the city looking for odd jobs. I don't make much, but hey, at least it's enough for me to make a living."

"As long as you don't have to work much, you're happy, Junpei," Akihiko said, giving Junpei a light punch on the shoulder.

"H-hey! That hurt ya know," Junpei frowned, rubbing his shoulder.

"What about you, Aigis?" asked Mitsuru. "You've been staying with Yukari, correct?"

"I have been living at her house and helping her mother with housework," Aigis explained. "Now that she has gone to University, I decided to follow her and work as a cleaner there."

"My mom was almost in tears when you decided on that, Aigis," Yukari chuckled. "She says you've been doing a great job with the housework. She really enjoyed not having to clean the house for once."

"Can I ask something?" said Ken, raising his hand. "Who's been taking care of Koro-chan?"

"Koromaru's been living with me," Junpei replied, affectionately scratching the big Alpha dog behind the ears, "and stealing my Takoyaki."

"I bet you leave your food lying around, that's why he eats it," Yukari snorted. "What have you been feeding him, anyway? He's getting really old for a dog, you know. He needs good food to keep him healthy. Not to mention regular vet visits for check ups…"

"I just give him regular dog food," Junpei shrugged. "I don't know how to make that special dog food you and Shinji used to make. I haven't been taking him to the vet though, I don't have much money for that."

Yukari sighed. "I'm glad you've been feeding him proper dog food, but you should give him his special dinner once in a while and take him to see the vet. Here, I'll write down what you need. If you want, I can take Koro-chan to the vet for you, once a month."

"Oh, thanks, Yuka-tan," Junpei said gratefully.

"Have you been doing well at Gekkoukan High, Amada?" Mitsuru enquired, looking at Ken.

"I'm doing alright, I guess," Ken said uncertainly. "I've made some friends, and I joined the school junior Track Team. My exam grades are okay, too."

"Good," Mitsuru nodded with approval. "I'm glad you've settled in well at high school."

They spent the next hour catching up and talking about everything that had happened to them after three years. It felt just like back at the Dorm, when everyone would sit at the Lounge doing their own work while talking to each other.

Mitsuru tried to catch Akihiko's eye, but he always averted his gaze. She had asked him questions and tried to make conversation, but he only replied with short, curt answers and never wanted to continue talking. She stopped trying after a while and joined in the others' conversation, but now she felt that she had to talk to him or there wouldn't be another suitable opportunity.

"Akihiko," she said suddenly, "will you please accompany me to the garden?"

*********

There was silence between the two friends as they walked side by side in the garden. The air was filled with the sweet scent of the beautiful flowers, a gentle wind blew, blowing back the green grass, and the night sky was clear and cloudless, revealing the small number of twinkling stars that were visible in the city sky. Yet, somehow, the silence felt perfectly natural, not awkward. Neither one was talking, but they were simply enjoying each other's presence.

"Akihiko," said Mitsuru, sounding a bit tentative, which was very unusual for her. "Is there something that you'd like to tell me?"

Akihiko remained silent, looking around at the grass, the flowers, the plants, the stars – anywhere but at the young woman walking alongside him.

"Akihiko, answer me," she said, sounding more like her usual self.

The young man stopped in his tracks and stared at Mitsuru for a long moment before saying, "My words can't influence your decision, so what's the point? If you want to marry someone that you don't even know, then so be it. I'm in no position to stop you."

To his surprise, Mitsuru took hold of his hands in both of hers. She looked him straight in the eyes as she spoke to him.

"Akihiko, I trust your judgment completely. I've known you since middle school, and you're one of my oldest friends. We know each other inside and out, we know each other's past, and the both of us have been through so much together." Her grip on his hands tightened, and her voice sounded as though she was choking back tears when she spoke again. "But after what you said to me at the Café that evening, I reconsidered my decision, and I told the Kirijo Group that the man I marry will be someone of my choosing, and no one else's. If I am to be someone's wife, I want to choose who my husband will be. Even if I have to wait years for the right person to come, I will not accept someone that I do not have feelings for. My father always told me to make my own decisions, and though he advised me to decide on what will benefit the Group, he also warned me not to defy my heart and deny its desires too much."

"Do you have someone in mind?" Akihiko asked. He felt somewhat surprised but glad that he had been able to change Mitsuru's mind about accepting the proposal. In the back of his mind he heard Ronan's voice saying "Akihiko Sanada, you have the love bug." And he knew that Ronan was right.

"My heart kept telling me this, but I couldn't see the message clearly until today," she whispered, moving closer. "The person that I thought I would have to wait for…was right in front of me all this time."

As though he had been waiting for her to speak those words, he pulled her close and leaned down to kiss her soft lips.

*********

"Has anyone seen Akihiko-senpai and Mitsuru-senpai?" Junpei said suddenly, looking around the lounge. "They've been out on that walk for some time now."

"Leave them alone, Stupei," said Yukari, somewhat in exasperation. "They're old friends."

Suddenly, Junpei got up from his position on the sofa next to Yukari and quietly sneaked over to one of the tall windows in the lounge that looked out to the gardens outside. The curtains were drawn closed over the window. Junpei parted the curtains just a crack and peeked out to look at the gardens. He saw something that he had half-expected to happened, but it was still came as a surprise to see Mitsuru and Akihiko in the garden, standing close together, kissing.

"Junpei, don't spy on them," Yukari snapped. "You're so immature."

"Yuka-tan you're not gonna believe this," Junpei said excitedly, leaving the window. "Akihiko-senpai and Mitsuru-senpai are kissing in the garden!"

"W-what?" Yukari said, startled. "Are you sure? You're not making this up, are you?"

"Go and see for yourself, I bet they're still at it," Junpei grinned, pointing at the window.

Yukari couldn't resist going over to the window and taking a peek herself. Her eyes widened when she saw that Junpei was right.

"I didn't really think it could happen," Yukari said, going back to the sofa. "All these years, nothing's changed between the two of them."

"Yeah," Junpei nodded. "To think they were like best friends since middle school and they only just realized it today after three years apart." He shook his head. "Some people are so strange."

"It's a lot more complicated for them," Yukari reasoned. "And both of them are really stubborn and independent, so I guess they both needed time to think everything out and admit their feelings."

"Hey, I think I hear them coming back," Junpei said, hearing footsteps approaching the lounge.

"Don't say anything about what you saw," Yukari said sharply. But of course, Junpei never listened to Yukari anyway.

Sure enough, Mitsuru and Akihiko entered the lounge. Yukari noticed that they were still holding hands, and their cheeks were flushed. She wondered if they were aware of it.

"Looks like you two are an item now, eh?" Junpei grinned. "So it's finally happened."

"Junpei!" Yukari said angrily. She turned to look at Mitsuru and Akihiko. "I'm happy for you guys. But…I thought Mitsuru-senpai had to marry some other CEO's son."

"I declined the proposal," Mitsuru explained, and she felt Akihiko squeeze her hand.

"That's good," Yukari smiled at her. "I wouldn't have liked seeing you with someone that you don't even love."

"Does this mean that you are going to marry Akihiko-senpai?" said Aigis suddenly.

The other SEES members looked at their Senpai, wondering what Mitsuru was going to answer.

Mitsuru's cheeks became redder. She gave a small smile as she said, "We'll just have to wait and see. These things do take time to decide…"

Junpei snorted. "The two of you had years to think about this. I know I would've made a decision by now."

Now it was Yukari's turn to snort. "I don't think you'll be making that kind of decision anytime soon, Stupei. So far, Chidori was the only one you've ever attracted."

"Hey, you gotta admit, that's an achievement on my part," Junpei defended. "Especially since Chidori was a tough nut to crack."

Yukari sighed. "That was an achievement, but Chidori was unique, and different." She turned back to Mitsuru and Akihiko. "Anyway, let us know if you're having a wedding, okay?" she gave a giggle and winked at them.

*********

"Thanks for coming over, everyone," Mitsuru called out, as she watched her old dorm-mates walk down the driveway towards the gates. She couldn't help feeling sad that the reunion was over. It had felt nice to see all her old friends again. She felt someone squeeze her shoulder, turned around and saw that it was Akihiko, smiling at her.

"You're not going back yet?" she asked, surprised, as he held her in his arms.

"I can stay a while longer and spend time with you," he said, and kissed her forehead. "So, what're your plans, Mitsuru?"

"I have to go on a business trip next week," she said gently, reaching out a hand to run her finger through his platinum hair. Akihiko's smile slipped a notch, and Mitsuru went on, "but you're going to accompany me. Your summer break will be here next week, will it not?"

Akihiko leaned down and kissed her again. "Of course I'll come with you, Mitsuru."


End file.
